Members discuss TCEs in Moscona's first meeting as VP
By ERIN LaRUFFA
News Writer
After student body vice president Brian Moscona was sworn in Wednesday night, the new Student Senate began its work for the 2001-2002 school year. Part of that work involved learning about a senate Diversity Committee report that will be presented to the Academic Council on April 18. The report recommends removing the question about student ethnicity from Teacher Course Evaluations (TCEs), according to former Pangborn senator Kaitlyn Dudley, who chaired the Diversity Committee during the 2000-2001 senate.
"TCEs are the number one way we have of communicating with the faculty and administration how we think they're doing," said Dudley, who worked on the report with other committee members, including returning PE senator Nikki McCord.
The committee report, according to Dudley, states that the box is not helpful to evaluating teachers and in fact is "detrimental."
"You're taking your race and making it the issue. Why isn't your sexual orientation or political belief on there?"said Dudley.
The committee has explored the issue with the University's Institution Research department, Dudley told the senate, adding, "IR did not give us sufficient information."
"They're looking for ways students are biased against professors," said McCord. The information is not used to evaluate specific professors.
"Faculty would object to being assumed to be biased against students,"said Dudley. "Why should they assume this about us?"
The question also makes students focus on a professor's race and ethnicity right before completing TCEs, McCord told the senate.
"It's the subconscious effect," Dudley said.
Senators briefly discussed the report.
"I don't see the helpfulness in taking it off as much as I see the helpfulness of using the information," said Lewis Hall senator Jennifer Flannery.
In other Senate news:
u The Senate passed a resolution on behalf of the student body congratulating the women's basketball team for winning the NCAA national championship.
All News Stories for Thursday, April 5, 2001
